


Coming Home

by violetmessages



Series: These Happy Days [1]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hospitals, Ianto Jones Lives, M/M, Really this is just fluff, Series 03 Fix-It: Children of Earth (Torchwood), how is not explained, with the slightest bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27187478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetmessages/pseuds/violetmessages
Summary: In which Ianto and Jack narrowly escape death and help Gwen welcome a new life into the world.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper & Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: These Happy Days [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990219
Comments: 13
Kudos: 48





	Coming Home

“Jack, stop pacing,” ordered Ianto. He looked up from his chair in the waiting room, watching him walk back and forth. Jack turned to look at him incredulously. 

“Do you know the mortality rates for giving birth?” he hissed at Ianto. “What if her heart gives out? What if she goes into shock? What if-”

“What if this is a normal thing that millions of women do?” Ianto asked calmly. “Gwen is going to be fine!”

Jack looked at him with a pained expression. Ianto shook his head and patted the seat next to him. Jack took the hint and sat down. 

“I know you’re worried but I promise you. Nothing is going to happen to her,” Ianto said calmly. Jack slumped against him, and Ianto softly petted his hair. “She’ll be alright.”

“I know I just-” he cut off. “I almost lost you - I can’t lose her too-” 

“I understand.”

And he did. Sure, he’d made a miraculous recovery, but Jack had been shaken. As soon as the whole ordeal was over, they’d all moved into the little house on the seaside. Jack wouldn’t let them out of his sight. 

He’d taken to pacing around the house at odd hours, building weapons in the little basement that Gwen disapproved of, and worst of all, subjecting them to his newest hobby: trying and failing to make baked goods. 

Still, Ianto preferred it to his other moods. There were times when Jack would go completely blank - look silently at nothing and respond to no one. Nights when Jack would clutch Ianto so hard that it hurt to breathe. Sometimes Jack would just leave the house for a day and wander alone for hours. He’d return, smelling of salt and blood, and none of them would ask where he went or what he did. 

It was how Jack seemed to cope. 

While they waited, Ianto continued to card through Jack’s hair. He stared blankly at the flat white walls of the room, adorned with posters about heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Jack leaned against him, fiddling with his braces and tapping his foot anxiously. 

He was secretly worried too. He didn’t dare admit it to Jack; he didn’t want to raise his anxiety more, but he shared the same fears. It was taking quite a while, and he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. 

Finally, the door swung open, and a nurse walked into the waiting room.

“Cooper-Williams family?” she asked. 

“That’s us!” Jack jumped up. “Is she alright, is she okay?”

“She’s fine sir. You are family, right?” she asked, squinting suspiciously. 

“Yes!” Jack said exuberantly, bouncing up on his heels. “I’m Gwen’s brother.”

“And you sir?” She turned to look at Ianto. 

“Uh, I’m Gwen’s other brother,” he said, awkwardly. “Can we see her now?”

The nurse continued to look suspicious but brought them through the hospital. She led them down a hallway, and they finally entered. 

Gwen was lying on the hospital bed, and Rhys sat next to her in a chair, clutching a small bundle to his chest. 

“Gwen Cooper!” Jack announced. His face was lit up, and he beamed at Gwen and Rhys. 

“Shhh!” Rhys whispered. “She’s sleeping.”

“This is Anwen,” said Gwen, looking tired but still smiling. 

“How are you feeling?” Ianto asked, as he strode across the room to lean against Gwen and give her a quick hug. 

“Oh, I’m knackered,” Gwen responded. “Here, come sit next to me.”

She scooted over and pulled Ianto so that they were awkwardly bunched up next to each other. Ianto felt the mattress go down as Jack sat on the edge of the bed near Rhys. 

“I don’t know if this can handle the weight of all three of us. The bed might break.”

“Speaking of beds breaking, did I ever tell you that time when I-” Jack started, then cut off after Gwen gave him a sharp look. “Maybe now’s not the best time?”

“Yeah.” Rhys rolled his eyes. The bundle in his arms wriggled and let out a cry. 

“Oh, give her here,” Gwen said, and reached out for her. She took Anwen in her arms and gently rocked her. 

“Quite a set of lungs,” Jack remarked. 

“Yes well, we’re all going to have to get used to that for a while,” Gwen replied. She continued to rock Anwen until she quietened. Ianto watched as she let out a little yawn, eyes scrunched shut. 

“Do you want to hold her?” Gwen asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Sure,” he whispered. Gwen leaned against him and placed Anwen into his arms. She squirmed slightly as he held her against him. 

“Support her neck,” Gwen said, and adjusted Anwen. She opened her eyes momentarily, blinked, and shut them again. 

“She looks like you, Gwen,” Jack said. He looked wistful for a minute, like he was looking past them, but then his smile returned. “That’s a good thing.”

“Oi!" Rhys complained. Jack threw him a wink. 

“I cannot wait to go home though. We need to finish setting up her nursery,” Gwen said. “This hospital bed is uncomfortable, and I already have the kid. I don’t know why we have to stay here for longer.”

“It’s only three days, Gwen,” Rhys assured her. “And I’ll be here too.”

“And we’ll finish setting up the nursery. We never got to finish making the bassinet,” Jack said, reaching to take Gwen’s hand. “Don’t worry about anything.”

“Oh all right,” Gwen acquiesced. “But if it’s not done, I’m blaming you.”

Ianto chucked. He pulled Anwen closer as Gwen leaned against him. He felt warm, surrounded by everyone he loved. There wasn’t anywhere else in the world he felt like being. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you reading! Kudos/Comments are appreciated!
> 
> Find me on tumblr [here](https://violetmessages.tumblr.com/)


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